How To Unfreeze An Outside Air Vent Roof

And when the need arises.

How to unfreeze an outside air vent roof.

Turbine vents are those ubiquitous devices found on almost every residential rooftop. I also used to climb up on the roof and thaw the vent with hot water. If this happens pour warm water down the roof s sewer vent stack. Firstly the pipe freezes at the roof outlet due to condensation of the warm gases as they reach the cold outside air condensation continues until the pipe finally freezes right over.

To provide both of these functions terminating the drain vent high up above the roof is necessary. Plus in the cord on ground level for a few hours. A gurgling toilet may indicate a clogged or frozen vent stack. Clear your roof of snow on a regular basis.

The water would then run back down and drip out of the exhaust fan onto your head. Terminating these pipes above the roof ensures any vapours that potentially come up through the drains from the sewer will harmlessly be released outside rather than penetrate our indoor air. This blockage keeps air from traveling up the vent pipe properly. Over time these vents can become squeaky from moisture and age related natural degradation.

After i had access i ran the vent hose under the attic insulation and installed a vent in the. Under normal operation the air to relieve that vacuum would come from air flowing down through the roof vent. The hot moist air would travel up the vent hose towards the roof and condense in the cold attic. The pipe in the attic is already insulated now it was time to do something on the exterior as well.

But now the roof vent was frozen and could not supply the air needed to eliminate the vacuum in the sump. There may be a clog in the sewer line right where it meets the vent pipe. There was no access to the attic until i had the wood stove installed. Designed to maintain steady ventilation to attics these devices are necessary to prevent mold and excessive heat buildup under the roof.

Now i loop a 2 ft pipe heating cable about 8 10 inches into the vent and tape the rest of it to the outside of the vent i do this in late fall before it gets cold and icy on the roof. Then the vent pipe may be re angled and a new cap may be put into place to keep debris from clogging it again.